Dust collecting system



Jan. `26, 1932. s, w. KlRK ET AL 1,842,409

DUST COLLECTING SYSTEM Filed Dec. 176. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet `l Alz Jan. `26,- 1 932.

s. w. KIRK ET AL DUST COLLECTING SYSTEM Filed DC. 16, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i Patented 26,`

y UNITEUSTATES PATENT'QFFIcl-:r W

i fsYLvnsrEa Kram `Brennan J. *BLUM AND `WILL-IAM mena MEUTTMAN, `or v orlvrlcrivmifri,V omo, iissreNcRs 'no THE man a BLUM MANUFACTURING coMrANin. `or cINcINNATLoHIo, CORPORATION Oromo 1 1 f DUsrcoLLEcTING SYSTEM Application mea December jle, 1927. serial No. 240,530.

This invention relates to a dust collecting i systen'i whereby miscellaneous waste Aand byproduct materials of various weights are both gathered "and conveyed and has for an `obj ect the provisionof a `simplified device for this purpose Y Another object is to provide a collecting V system ofthe `type 'referred to which is eilicient andwhich operates with a minimum of powenf` .I I ix Another object of the invention 1s to `p`ro i vvide a structure for the purposes stated which y accompanying drawingsginwhich z utilizes thev forcefof` gravity in' edective gatheringof wastematerial and by means of `which the Jmaterial thusgatheredfmay beV conveyed great distancesy entirely `without the use of mechanical material moving conveyors and without loss of suction power'.` I p' l A `furtherobjeotofthe invention 'is to provide for 'auxiliarysuction fans `in such system and to further provide means whereby such auxiliaryffans may; be automatically con- Y trolled by varying conditions in lthe system.

`These an d other objects are attained'byteI t e means described herein and disclosed in Fig. 1 Ia sideielevation of 1 a'device ofthe `inveintionprpart beingbroken` away. i

Fig. -Qisan end view of the ldevice shown'in Fig.

Fig. 3` is cross sectional vievvhion line 13--3y of`Fi'g.1.." j i Fig@ isa plan view of a modified form of l.. the device ofithe invention `such as wouldbe used in extremelylong and-irez;tended'installationsfy`` y y Y Fig. 5 a fragmental" elevational view showing "somewhat Y diagrammatically a mechanism for automatically varying# the auxiliarypower"fans.` i y Fig. `6 fis a` fragmental view showing a `modified form of speed'fregulatori for aux- `iliarypowerffanslin the device oft-his in- 1` The devicecomprises a "casing 7 which is',4

convenientlyforined of sheetimetal substantiallysenn-circularin crosss'ection. Secured beneath the semi-circular `casing 7 are hop- 5ojpers8havinginclinedsides 9. lhese'hop-V pers aren fashioned iniethefshape ofin'- 8 so that the series of hoppers andthe casing 7 together form a pipe. The opposite ends` of the casing 7 are closed by substantially semicircular plates or members 13. Asy shown in cross section in Fig. 1 each hopper terminates "in a somewhat restricted port or opening 14 which communicates with the combinedsuction and conveyor pipe 15. The

connection-between the hopper and pipe 15 may beinade directly if desired, but is pref` erably eifected by a rectangular collar 1d whichfmay extend ,perpendicularly between the pipe 15 and the hopper or itmay be in-` clined t'o provide a continuous straight chute` with an inclinedwall` 9 of the hopper as shownlrin Fig."1. Suitable feeder pipe collars 17 are `tapped `into the casing? `horizon" Vtally and `fromeitheror both sides of `said i casing. These collars 17 arecut into the cas-` ing at whatever points are found convenient in the layout `of waste producing machines `to Fwhich they connectby suitable feeder pipes 181 `that convey thematerial. It will be Vapparent from the foregoing that" the ar. rangement of the feederV pipes 18 :is flexible and adapted to alteration without Vdisturbing the mainstructureof Vthe system;4 The `85 alterations are readily effected by tapping in additional vcollars where needed andcapping y or closing such collarsas are not required.

Such `arrangement is found ideal `in! shop layouts wherein the machinery arrangement is 'sub-ject to frequent change because it prac-` tically eliminates the heretofore excessive costof rearrangement and replacementy of dust collecting system equipment. J

` VInsu'ch installations as require pipes of great length it `is found highly desirable to gradually reduce the diameter of the conveyo'r and suction pipe15 as it extends away y vfrom the `exhzuist fan 19. `By such arrange# mentit is possible t0 attain` uniform suction through: each port 14 regardless ofits dis-` be provided for controlling the ports 11i. lnr

Fig. 3 the door 21 is shown in closed posi tion.. It should be noted that when the door is in closed position it extends parallel to and in a plane slightly below the side wall 9 of the hopper and that'the port 14 Vis not entirely closed. Thus there is alwaysV at least a small portion of the portill remaining open so that material dropping into a hopper may slide over the inclined walls thereof under .the iniuence of gravity and when it reaches y the port will be drawn into the suction pipe 15 through which it is conveyed to a suit able separator. One means of controlling the door 21 is conveniently provided by rigidly securing it to a shaft 22 which is ourna-led in the opposite side walls of the rectangular collar 16. A crank 28 whichmay extend in parallelism with the plane of Vthe door is secured onto the shaft and may be retained in adjusted positions by means of a screw and thumb nut 24 passing through an arcuately slotted quadrant 25 which is rigidly attached'to the side wall of the collar. The pipe 20 connecting the endmost hopperwith the end of the suction and conj veyor pipe 15 .is preferably uncontrolled in all installations in order to provide for a straightunimpeded-sweep of the air current throughout the suction and conveyor pipe to the fan 19. It should-be noted that the connected transverse edges 12 at the top of adjacent hoppers provide a pealr or sharp ridge so that material to be moved has no place uponwhich to collect.

In Fig. l there is shown a. top plan view of an extremely long collecting and conveyingV system. When such a'system is required to extend for three or four hundred feet and has many feeder pipes 18 tapped th-ereinto a plurality of suction and conveyor pipes are j provided for controlling sections of the casvboot 26 to the side of a suction and conveyor pipe 27 intermediate its ends. vln pip-e 27 opposite each boot 26 a pair of inclined baffles 260 are disposed in spaced parallelism with the walls of the bootl to direct material approaching from opposite directions into said boot without conflict. The pipe 27 tapers from the boot to its opposite ends.` The casing 7 and hopper structure are as previously describedand groups thereof are connected with the several pipes 27. ln such installations it is to be understood that all of the fans 19 need not of necessitybe. operating at one time'for efficient performance and that each fan creates a vacuum throughout its allotted length of the casing .7 provided the distribution of the area'of branch pipes 18 is approximately uniform throughout the entire length of casing 7. lf however the. distribution of branch pipes 18 is unequal, part of the air drawn through a given branch pipe 18 may be drawn longitudinally through casing 7 and then downwardly through' any of ports 16 into any of fans 19, the balance of the air and substantially all of the material being drawn through the port or ports 16 nearest the 'given branch pipe 18. The several sections of the casing 7, determined by their associated conveyor pipes 27 may be divided or separated from one another by suitable sliding dampers 28 operating transversely through the casing 7 Thus, depending upon the location of waste producing machines in operation, one, two or three of the fans would be set in operation.

In special installations in which the requirements necessitate exceptionally large number andV capacity of branch pipes 18, but the use of a fluctuating total number and capacity of said branch pipes, requiring a vvariable fan-capacity; or' in the case of an sipated and from the bottom of which collector the material' willbe dropped into boot 26, or if desirable, directlj.7 to the ultimate destination of the fan 19. The addition of fan 30, which may be driven either by constant or variable speedv motor device` and may be stopped and started without relation to the constantly operating fans 19. permits of an increase of capacity in the entire casing 7 and the regulation of that capacity in direct proportion to thevarying requirements of branch pipes 18.-

In Fig. 5 there is shown in elevation one of the supplemental fans 80, connected to the plenum casing 7,-andhaving a variable speed motor 83 equipped with a suitable rheostat or variable controller 311. A pressure regulater 35 of suitable type is mounted in the wall of casing 7 and is` adapted to be 'influenced and actuated by the varying pressures occasioned in the casing by the use of a. greater or lesser number or capacity of the branch pipes 18. The regulator 35 may be of 25. Whereina constant speedinotor 38 drives a mechanical `speed `regulator 39co`nnected to i "namens:

L any@ ammofiiiy used-:onstage taierswiai v stokers and, since i itsiparticular *structure forms" no particular part l :of this iniventioiiv need` notbe described in detail. i It-issuiicient to set "fo'itlli .that the varying pressures" v p actingupon the regulator aretranslated into inoveinentaof a rod v36 which connectsiwith switch. airin`37 of variable speedfcontrol 54 creases the-speed "of the ino'to'r and fan. In

7 inf'proportifonfto the capacityand requirea likefmannerthemotor or motors 33 are `slowed down i or` completely' shut oii as the i requirements ofthe total number'of branch pipes deCreaSeJInths way the power conN sumpti'on for thesystemisfkept ata` mini-` niuinfwithoutaffecting the uniform efficiency thro'ughoutithe system. 1 i l In Fig. 6 there is shown an installation a fan such as and provided with angactui ating arm i0 formoveinentby the pressure regulator device.` This arraiigement like-v wiseprovides a uniformjfpressurewithin the plenumy casing regardless of the number or i i total capacityfof pipes 18`in open communication therewith at any `given time.V The operation ofthe device is as follows: The casing 7 with `its associatedhoppers l and combined suction andvconveyoi pipe 15 i `or 27 is installed permanently infa plant and i connected by suitable feeder pipesto the col-" `the collarsl17 aretappedintonthe casing 7 at the desired intervals on either side of the casing. The waste producingmachinesare i lars, and when the plant is in operation the fan19 connected with theconveyor pipe and with a suitableseparator or arrester is put in operatiom Air is exhausted from the pipe 15 or 27 at a high rate-so that the air moves l through it at high velocity. Thehoppers and casing 7 being in communication with 5 pipe l5 or 27 have theair exhausted therey from at alower rate, while the feeder pipes f 18, being of relatively small diameter have i Vports therein, where it is drawn throughthe i *6p locity stream of air in pipe 15 or 27. The

the air drawn-therethrough with sufiicient h `force to convey waste from the wasteproh ducing machines (not shown)into`the cas- 1 h i ing 7`. lln the casing, by reason of the lesser air velocity the wastefniaterial immediately drops into the hoppers and tothe relatively small collars 16 into the high vematerial is carried along in this stream tothe 4fan and separator or farrestor. Itshould 'be' noted that'one suction fan inayserve to carry the material from the waste producing` inachine through the feeder pipes and into the casinglfroni which the waste `material moves intofvand"through pipe `15 or 27 and is cont y veyedaway without `the aidiof `a mechanical h conveyorand without entailing the necessity for `the useof additionalfpower. The wear ron` parts and `also the noises incident to mechanical conveyors are absolutely eliminated andatfthesaine time power is conserved.

What is *claimed is: Y s Vi l1. -In a dust collecting system of the class described the combination of a continuous whereby waste material from various sources iscarriedfinto said continuouscasing, a series of hoppers having discharge ports, the series casingjfrom `which air is rexhausted at a low y rate,b`ranch` pipes extending from the casing y of hoppers serving to forin the bottom of the Y continuousfcasing, au conveyor pipe from which air is exhausted at a high` rate, said conveyor `pipeljhaving constant y communication with the discharge ports ofthelioppers Veys pipe w t 2. In,` a device of the class described the combination of a row "of inverted funnel shaped hoppersconnected to one another at `adjacent topvedges thereof, an elongated dome-like casing securedalong its edges to' the remainingedges of the hoppers, a pipe disposed beneathithe bottom of the funnellikehoppers and communicating with the interior thereof and means rfor exhausting air a inizeeviee of the dass described the fm combination of an 'elongated chamberhavingits bottoml developed into a series of inverted pyramidal funnels, said funnels being c and meansfor exhausting air from the contruncated to provide discharge ports, collar m'embersfon'the chamber for connection to i feederpipes, a suction and conveyor pipe ex-f tending'fbeneath the discharge ports of the funnels and communicating therewith and means ,for effecting exhaust of air from said pipegthe exhaust of air serving to carry materialthroughthe feeder pipes into the chainberlwliereinsaid material falls" into the funnels for immediate passagethr'ough the discharge ports `thereof `into the conveyor pipe.

Inradevice of the class described the combinati/on" of an elongated chamber casing," a row' of truncated pyramidal `hoppers forminga bottoni for said "casing saidhop- 'pers having discharge ports therein, a com!` bined suction and conveyor pipe` extending beneath` and`communicating with the discharge ports in thehopper, a suction faucon- `nected to] one end of said pipefan inclined pipe sectionconnecting the end of sai'dpipe with the endmost hopper,fsaid connecting pipe beingofa relatively greater cross section than the dischargeV ports in the remaining hoppers.'` A Y i t 5.`In"a device of the ,class described the combination tof a substantially semi-circular l casing member, a series of connected hoppers iie forming a bottom for'said casing, the hoppers having inclined side walls, a combined suction and conveyor pipe disposed beneathY the hoppers and having communication at spaced intervals with the bottoms'of said hoppers, the endmost of said hoppers vhaving a relatively larger area of communication with said pipe Athan the remaining hoppers of the series. j

6L kIn a device of the class described the combination of a chamber casing having substantially pyramidal communicating hoppers extending from the bottom thereof, a Combined suction and conveyor pipe disposed beneath the hoppers, a branch waste collecting pipe connecting with the chamber casing above said hoppers, means providing constant communication between the bottoms of the hoppers and said pipe and means for adjusting the effective area of communication between the hoppers and the pipe.

In a device of the class'described theA combination with a hopper of truncated pyramidal form having a discharge port in the bottom thereof, a pipe extending substantially horizontally beneath said discharge port, an angular collar effecting communication between the discharge port and the pipe and a pivotally -1neunted-door in said collar adjustable from the exterior thereof for altering but not completely closing the effec` tive area of communication between the hopper and the pipe, said door when fully opened being disposed in parallelism with an inner ywall of the collar, and being disposed in parallelism with the wall of the hopper when in a closed position. Y 8. The combination of an elongated cas-V ing, a series of hoppers forming a'bottomv for the casing, a plurality of combined suction and conveyor pipes each having communication with different portions of said series of hoppers, individual fans operative upon said pipes and means for cutting off communication between sections of ther casing corresponding to the different portions of the series of hoppers.

9. The combination ofan elongated casing adapted for connection with branch pipes throughout its length, a row of hoppers providinga bottom for the casing, a plurality of independent suction and conveyor pipes aligned beneath the hoppers and connected with different portions of said row of hoppers, means for cutting off communication between sections of the casing corresponding` and conveyor pipe associated with the casing to exhaust air therefrom and to receive and move material'from said casing and means comprising an auxiliary Yexhaust fan and a pressure regulator connected with the casing whereby fluctuation in total capacityV of the operatively connected branch pi es actuates the regulator to vary the rate o exhaust by the auxiliary fan in proportion to the capacity of the branch pipes.

il. In combination a casing having branch pipes operatively connected thereto in different total capacities at different times, means for providing air exhaust from the casing for minimum branch pipe capacity and serving to pneumatically convey material delivered to said casing by said branch pipes, and independent auxiliary exhaust means governed by a pressure regulator in the casing for providing additional automatically varying yair exhaust from the casing proportionate to the fluctuating total required capacity of the operative branch pipes.

Intestimony whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names this lithday of December, 1927.

SYLVESTER W. KIRK. Y RICHARD J. BLUM. Y IVILLIAM ROGER MEUTTMAN.

to the several portions of the row of hop- V pers, individual suction fans for each conveyor pipe and auxiliary fan units connected with the casing and discharging material into the conveyor pipes. 'i i 10. In combination with a casing having branch pipes operatively communicating therewith in fluctuating numbers and varyingvtotal capacities, of a combined suction ide 

